Rack



Oct. l18, 1949. .Q T HATCH y2,484,996

RACK

Filed Sept. 9, 1946 o 00| |000 ty- -Qm of 4 o O o 4 4 4 l 1F L1' G\ i lVi y im 4 /1- :[f/ l [Eig i t i o 1/ r' l, l 'T :-Z a

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5 e (I l E) I 7 INVENToR. 777]- 4 Chf/"les HC1/cb Waag/J8 ATTORNEYPatented Oct. 18, .1949

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE;

RACK

Charles .T. Hatch, Albion, Mich., assignor to Union Steel ProductsCompany, Albion, Mich.

Application September 9, 1946, Serial No. 695,745

This invention relates to improvements in a rack.

The principal objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a mounting for the shelves of a rack which-willpermit-a series of vertically spaced shelves to be compactly arrangedand to be individually tilted or raised at their forward edges andlocked in raised position to provide space for loadingand lunloading.

Second, to provide a mounting structure for the several shelves of arack adapted for use in bakeries for handling bread and the like whichwill permit the individual shelves to be easily and quickly raised to arearwardly tilted position to `permiteaser access to the next lowershelf.

Other objects and advantages pertaining to the details and economies ofthe invention will be apparent from the description to follow.

The drawings, of which there is one sheet, illustrate a preferred formof the invention.

Fig. l is a fragmentary front elevational View of a bread rack havingits shelves mounted therein according to my invention.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation partially broken away of the rack shown inFig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view partially in cross sectionshowing the details of the shelf mounting structure.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional View along the plane II--4 inFig. 3.

In many industries and businesses, particularly the baking business, itis desirable to provide racks, either stationary or movable, for coolingor storing or moving large numbers of small articles such as loaves ofbread. For this purpose racks have been developed including a series ofvertically spaced shelves, which when the shelves are fixed must notonly be spaced to clear the loaves of bread or other objects placed onthem, but must be spaced to permit convenient loading and unloading. Iftoo closely arranged, loading and unloading becomes difficult and slow.My invention provides a rack with a plurality of shelves which arespaced only sufficiently to clear the work and are independentlytiltable about their rear edges and easily locked in raised position sothat easy access may be had to the entire shelf positioned below thetilted shelf.

The drawings illustrate a bread rack which, in this case, is of allmetal construction consisting of forward uprights I and rear corneruprights 2 joined together in a suitable framework and mounted oncasters 3 so that the rack may be conveniently moved between differentparts of the 3 Claims. (Cl. 211--150) bakery. The rack is provided witha series of horizontal shelves 4, one of which is shown in raisedposition as at 5. The shelves are formed with metal end pieces 6 joinedat the rear by the rearwardly and downwardly opening angle longitudinalmembers l. Suitable surface bars or panels, not shown, are supportedonthe'framework of the shelves.

The end pieces 6 defined longitudinal slots 8 near the rear end of theshelves. The slots 8 are arranged to receive and be seated on the pins 9on the rear corner uprights 2 for supporting the rear edges of theshelves.v The front edges of the shelves are supported by angle bracketsI0 secured to the front uprights-I.

The rear uprights 2 are of forwardly facin channel section, the innerlegs or flanges I I thereof being shorter than the outer legs or flangesI2 to which pins 9 are secured. The inner flanges II are notched as atI3 (see Fig. 3) just below each of the pins 9 forming a downwardly andrearwardly sloping stop surface I4 which is arranged to engage the uppersurface of the rear cross member 'I when the shelf is tilted upwardlyand slid backwardly on the pins 9. It should be noted that lifting thefront of the shelf will create a natural gravity force for the shelf toslide back on the pins 9 as soon as the rear cross member has clearedthe notches I3. The notches I3 are positioned with respect to the pins 9so that the shelves may be tilted upwardly and locked with their frontedges just below the horizontal position of the next higher shelf. Thuseach shelf may be tilted independently of the other shelves inthe rack.

The shelf may be easily released and lowered to horizontal position bypulling forward on the forward edge and sliding the shelf along the pins9 until the rear cross member I clears the notch I3. The tilting of theshelves as indicated at 5 permits easy access to the entire surface ofthe next lower shelf and is of great aid in speeding up the loading andunloading of the shelves. If desired, the shelves may be made removablefrom the rack by opening the slots 8 at the bottom.

My invention has been described as being applied to a metal rack ofparticular construction but obviously the locking features of my shelfcould be applied to other types of rack and shelf construction withoutdeparting from the theory of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by letters Patent is:

1. In a rack the combination of a frame com--` prsing front and rearuprights, a plurality of shelves disposed in a vertical series andcomprising, end members having longitudinal slots adjacent the rear endsand a rear longitudinal bar, said rear uprights being of forwardlyfacing channel section, pins on the outer legs of said uprightssupportingly engaging said slots in said shelf end members, the innerlegs of the rear uprights being substantially narrower than the outerlegs, said inner legs having a pluralityi of notches formed thereinadapted to receive the rear longitudinal bars of said shelves, whentha-z shelves are swung to a rearwardly tilted position, and supportsfor said front ends of said'A shelves mounted on saidfrontuprightsi-tof/coact;

with said pins in supporting theshelvesfiinthorifzontal position.

2. In combination with a rack having corner upright members, the rear-corner members-hav;-

ing forwardly opening channel shaped cross secl tionswithnarrowedfrflanges-on the inner edges thereof, a plurality of pinsyextending through theouter. flanges. of said upright at spacedverticallintervals, a plurality of: shelf members havingside pieces.havinglslotsnear the` rear edges thereof andextending parallel to thesurface of saidshelves, the rear. edges of said shelves being supportedby said pins extending. through said slots, `rear cross pieces. for saidshelves connecting,4 said side pieces, and supporting bracketssecuredto.saidforwarduprights and arranged to freely,A support thefrontedgesof said shelves, said narrow ilanges of said rear uprightshaving forwardly. opening notches .having forwardly and upwardly slopingupper, edges..v formed therein below each of said pins and arranged toengage said rear cross pieces of said shelves when said shelves aretilted upwardly and slid backwardly on said pins.

3. In combination with a rack having corner upright members, the rearcorner members having forwardly opening channel shaped cross sectionswith narrower flanges on the inner edges thereof, a plurality of pinssecured to the outer anges vof said upright at spaced 'Verticalintervals, a plurality of shelf members having side pieces havinghorizontal slots near the rear edges thereof, the rear edges of saidshelves being supported by said pins extending through said slots,

:rear cross pieces for said shelves connecting said side pieces, andsupporting brackets secured to .said forward upright and arranged tosupport the front edges of said shelves, said narrow flanges-of saidrear uprights having forwardly opening notches formed therein below saidpins and arranged toengage said rear cross pieces of said shelves whensaid shelves are tilted upwardly and'slidvbackwardly on said pins, v

CHARLES T. HATCH.

REFERENCES CITED The, following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 291,030 Clapper Jan. 1, 18841,010,036 Foltz Nov. 28, 1911 1,856,935 Turner May 3, 1932 2,066,623Hatch Jan. 5, 1 937

